Eden artist Oonju Chun asks ‘Can we all get along?’ in new exhibit at The Argo House
Oonju Chun's "2 AM Pondering," 2016, oil.
Eden-based abstract expressionist artist Oonju Chun's solo exhibit "Can We All Get Along?" is on display at The Argo House now through July 24.
Oonju Chun's "Double Facial Recognition," 2014, oil, 58x80, is on display upstairs at The Argo House.
Oonju Chun's "Lover's Quarrel," 2017, oil, 58x46.
Oonju Chun's "Mediating the Tension," 2015, oil, 54x38.
Oonju Chun's "One Spring Day," 2015, oil, 48x48.
Oonju Chun's "Que Sera Sera," 2018, oil, 52x42.
A new solo exhibition opens at The Argo House with a public reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 4, during First Friday Art Stroll.
“Can We All Get Along?” presented by Carper Contemporary features abstract expressionist paintings by Ogden Valley artist Oonju Chun. The exhibit includes approximately eight selected Chun paintings that represent “a release from social tension with free flowing movement, color, and form devoid of underlying narratives or statements.”
“I am not trying to be understood as an artist,” stated Chun. “When I walk up to a blank canvas, what happens is a spontaneous visual reaction with each stroke of line or color.”
According to a press release, Chun’s process aligns with that of the Abstract Expressionists, particularly Joan Mitchell and other female artists of the movement, “as she values immediacy, spontaneity and pure emotion when painting.”
Chun’s heritage is another profound influence for her work; she has lived in the United States for over 40 years but remains strongly rooted in her Korean identity, stated the release.
“While I identify with the quiet minimalistic sensibilities of Eastern aesthetics, I am always drawn to the rawness of particular Western art. My work inherently merges these two influences,” Chun stated.
The title, “Can We All Get Along?”, came to mind for Chun with all of the turmoil happening in the country — the pandemic, insurrection on Capitol Hill, the increase of racial violence. Watching the news and seeing “people behaving so badly,” she coped by cranking up the music in her studio and painting.
“Conflict is a part of our lives, but somehow we need to find a balance in harmony,” Chun said, which she relates to her experience with painting. Painting is all about visual harmony, she said, a balance between colors, lines and compositions. “I talk to elements on my canvas, ‘You all need to get along!’ Because even when they clash it has to come out OK.”
Chun had titled a painting she completed during these current tumultuous times, “Can We All Get Along?”, which has since been sold to a private collector in Salt Lake.
Kelly Carper, of Carper Contemporary, had been following Chun’s work and curated her show at The Argo House specifically for how well it aesthetically fit the space. She also saw the relevancy of Chun’s paintings at this time: “The co-mingling of cultural aesthetics, honest abstraction, and raw emotion present in Chun’s paintings provide a space for relief and universal connection in a time when stress and anxiety run high.”
“Right now we’re seeing a lot of important art in response to the socio-political turmoil over the last year, which is thought-provoking, challenging and very important for historic times like these,” said Carper. “But at the same time, it’s also nice to get lost in abstraction that doesn’t have any underlying agendas.”
Chun is not an artist trying to express any particular message. “It’s purely a visual reaction,” she said. Her style, abstract and completely non-objective, has no meaning. “It is what speaks to you as an individual.” A piece may be inspired by nature or surroundings, but the image itself is not objective, she says. A sound or a mood may be conveyed, and people may see objects in the painting, but it’s about the individual experience of the art.
“You can just take in the color, shape and movement, and the painting becomes whatever you need it to be, which I think makes for a kind of liberating experience for the viewer,” Carper said.
She also loved the magnitude of Chun’s work in person. Chun said seeing her large paintings in real life makes all the difference — “the power comes from seeing it in person.”
Carper Contemporary, founded by independent curator Carper, is a pop-up gallery and art consultancy offering contemporary fine art for commercial and residential projects. Curating pop-up exhibitions at The Argo House has been a great way for Carper to build her business and brand as an independent curator and art consultant, while also contributing to the art scene in Ogden by providing more outlets for exhibiting and experiencing contemporary art. She is looking forward to continuing that impact through more collaborative projects in the community with other artists, designers and curators.
Read more about Chun at oonjuchun.com and about upcoming shows, available artwork and consulting services at carpercontemporary.com.